Za’Darius Smith trade rumors: 3 teams who could steal pass-rusher from Lions grasp

It’s time to strike while the iron’s hot. It happened with wide receivers over the last couple of weeks. Now it looks like pass rushers are going to be passed around before Tuesday’s trade deadline as well. 

Josh Uche has already landed with a new team in Kansas City. And several more could be on the move. Especially with several teams looking for reinforcements to double down on their playoff contention. 

One of those players is Za’Darius Smith. The Cleveland Browns getting their first in almost two months probably won’t change much in how they approach the end of the season and how much they sell. 

They’ve proven they are doubling and tripling down on Deshaun Watson as the NFL’s most expensive mistake in league history. So when he inevitably comes back next season, he’ll still be the starter and he’ll continue to run the offense into the ground until he’s off the Browns payroll.

So Cleveland is going to use what remaining veteran assets they can to flip those into favorable draft picks. Smith won’t most likely be the only Browns player on a new team by the end of the trade deadline. But he will certainly be the most popular. 

And while the Detroit Lions would love to be the only team interested in acquiring Smith, they’ll have some competition. Here’s who the Lions will be competing with to get Smith by Tuesday’s deadline. 

3 teams who could steal pass-rusher from Lions grasp

3) Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens already addressed their wide receiver issue, adding Diontae Johnson from the Carolina Panthers earlier this week. But their pass rush has been a glaring issue this season. And after losing a game they had no business losing on Sunday to Cleveland, look for them to make any move necessary to avoid anymore unnecessary skids. 

This would be an interesting move just from the standpoint of the move happening between division rivals. With Cleveland seeing Baltimore one more time at the end of the season, that could be a fun dynamic. But from a logistical standpoint, it makes sense. 

The Ravens witnessed first hand how destructive Smith can be. And with Michael Hall Jr. showing his potential for the Browns, they may not think too much about helping a division rival. 

Defensively, the Ravens have given up the most passing yards and are ranked 30th in opponents passing touchdowns scored against them. They need help in the secondary and pass rush. Expect them to fill both needs before Tuesday. And expect them to see if they can get Smith to fill one of those needs. 

2) Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals have somehow managed to go from what looked to be another frustrating season to being NFC West division leaders and winners of three of the last four games. 

Three weeks ago, they looked like they’d be sellers at the deadline and scrap together enough picks to keep from having a strenuous rebuild. Now they look like a team that needs to pick up a couple more pieces to return to the postseason for the first since 2021. 

One area they could improve in is their pass rush. They’ve only had 15 sacks as a defensive unit this season. That’s good for ninth worst in the NFL. 

Smith currently has five sacks on the year. He’d be the team leader right now if the Cardinals made the move. Right now, the two sack leaders on the Cardinals each have three. There are other options for them to go after. They don’t necessarily need a veteran to fill that void. They could opt to go the younger route or even neglect it all together. 

But now that there’s some optimism in Phoenix, they could make a move to put them in an even better position. 

1) Dallas Cowboys

It seems a bit redundant to add the Dallas Cowboys to any player trade watchlist. It’s a never-ending cycle. Glaring issues cost loss on Sunday’s, team says they need to get better, another team trades for a player they need; repeat. 

At some point, Dallas will need to accept the current players aren’t doing enough and adding even one player could help change things for the better. This is one of the moments where Jerry Jones needs to consider adding Smith to the defensive unit. 

That’s by far the least healthiest side of the ball as Micah Parson and DeMarcus Lawrence have missed more games than they’ve played this season already. With several options – fairly inexpensive at that – available, why the Cowboys refuse to do anything positive is beyond me. 

They have the chance to get a player that can patch the bleeding that is their lack of pass rush and can be a great option with both Lawrence and Parsons on the field. This seems way too obvious of a move not to make. 

But as we’ve found out, all-in is just a euphemism for content in Arlington.